Cachuela, Abegail E.

Assignment Synthesis 1

1. What are high-quality assessments, give at least 3 examples. What are the
purposes, and who are the targets of high-quality assessment? Explain briefly
in 150-250 words. 
 Allow for students to use assessment data to make choices about their areas of
concentration and focus. This creates and environment of “choice” and helps to
spur student motivation. It also provides complete visibility into individual
student knowledge and readiness and leverages assessment to understand
precisely what each student does (and doesn’t) know.
 Produce valid and reliable results. Assessment data is 85%-95% reliable when it’s
created by content experts within an assessment organization, (add source if we
are quoting directly)
 Offer connections to standards-based instructional resources. These assets
should include learning objects, including vetted OER, that are interactive and
responsive.
For instructors, one of the biggest benefits of excellent assessment models is that
they provide the information they need to improve or change the course of their
teaching. When high-quality assessments offer an easy way to look at data about
whether the majority of students have mastered a learning goal, instructors can
put that information to good use right away. For example, if an individual teacher
discovers that half of her students are making errors in multiplication facts
dealing with numbers larger than 5, it doesn't make sense just to hand out a
grade to each student and move on to long division. This data lets the teacher
know that she needs to review the problem areas and provide extra practice
before moving on. The data is even more useful when taken to an individual level,
as the teacher can target remediation where it's needed and provide enrichment
activities or individualized learning for those who are ready to move on. Likewise,
assessment data is useful at the administrative level when it comes to revising
and updating curriculum. For example, when results show that a significant
number of students struggle to identify poetic devices, it's worth looking at the
ELA curriculum to see where poetry units need to be updated and enhanced.
Great assessment isn't merely about giving a grade to students and educators. At
its best, high-quality assessment provides actionable information to inform
 curriculum and instruction decisions and allows for a real-time change of course
to meet students' needs. The first step is to vet and design relevant, standards-
based assessments that are used at many different stages of learning. From there,
educators should approach the resulting data with a spirit of flexibility and adjust
their strategies accordingly.

2. Give two definitions of authentic assessment and create your own definition
applied to your major field. 

An authentic assignment is one that requires application of what students have learned to a
new situation, and that demands judgment to determine what information and skills are
relevant and how they should be used. Authentic assignments often focus on messy,
complex real-world situations and their accompanying constraints; they can involve a real-
world audience of stakeholders or “clients” as well. According to Grant Wiggins (1998), an
assignment is authentic if it

 is realistic.
 requires judgment and innovation.
 asks the student to “do” the subject.
 replicates or simulates the contexts in which adults are “tested” in the
workplace or in civic or personal life.
 assesses the student’s ability to efficiently and effectively use a
repertoire of knowledge and skills to negotiate a complex task.
 allows appropriate opportunities to rehearse, practice, consult
resources, and get feedback on and refine performances and products.

3. What is the nature of Authentic Assessment? A. Aside from the word

authenticity, what are the two most popular words associated with authentic
assessment? Explain them (150-250 words) in relation to the Bible, the SOP, and
sources and the links you have read, watched, and listened to. B. What are the
characteristics of authentic assessments? Explain your answers in 150-250 words
each. 
Authentic assessment is "a form of assessment in which students are asked to
perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential
knowledge and skills. While we understand that environmental constraints
 make authentic assessments significantly more challenging to develop and
implement than other forms of assessment, authentic assessment is key to
student engagement, and we will focus on how to make your assessments as
"authentic" as possible.  When students' work benefits real people or
organizations, for instance, it often stimulates students to hold themselves
more accountable, produce higher quality work, and make connections
between course content and the real-world.

4. On a table or chart list 8 terminologies in authentic assessment on the first

column, give the definitions on the second column, and on the third column
paraphrase the definitions as applied to your major field.
 Terminologies Definition Paraphrase

Analytic Rubric articulates levels of For evaluating

performance for each student’s efforts
criterion so the
teacher can assess
student performance
on each criterion.

Authentic Task An assignment given Connects to a real-

to students designed world challenge
to assess their ability
to apply standards-
driven knowledge and
skills to real-world
challenges.
Portfolio A collection of a Contains a purposefully
student’s work selected subset of
specifically selected student work.
to tell a particular
story about the
student.
Outcome Preceding the current The term standard has
standards-based replaced the term
movement was a outcome with much
drive for outcome- the same meaning.
based education.
Criteria Characteristics of Use to evaluate how
good performance on well students
a particular task. completed the task
and thus, how well
they have met the
standard/s.
Descriptors Statements of  Students more
expected precisely what a
performance for a performance looks like
particular criterion in at each level and how
a rubric. their work may be
distinguished from the
work of others for each
criterion.

Distractors The incorrect Incorrect alternatives